2004 Dodge Ram Cummins - Bulldog Bruiser

Don't Get In Its Way

Good 'ol Southern boys are a different breed from the suit and tie-wearing middle class American man. we (I can say that because I'm from Georgia) were raised to respect our mommas, fear our daddies, and treat others with a certain level of respect. discipline and patience are other common lessons learned growing up below the Mason-Dixon line.

Rodney Findley of Atlanta is just one of those guys who could be described as a good 'ol boy. Fun-loving yet respectful, rodney and I met a couple years ago at a show when I was checking out his awesome '04-1/2 Dodge Ram 2500 diesel. after shooting the bull for a few minutes, we became friends, then soon afterwards I lined up his dodge for a feature shoot. the shoot was postponed because of logistics and weather, and I didn't actually photograph the truck until 6 months later. that's where the patience and discipline kicks in.

An area where Rodney doesn't show much patience is on the drag strip, where he constantly teaches gas-powered competitors a lesson. Most people don't even think his truck is a diesel, because after all, it is lowered and the eight lugs are covered. Spooling up the turbo, however, grabs people's attention and gets them wondering what is under the hood. a 5.9l Cummins turbodiesel has been upgraded with a custom-fabricated 4-inch intake system, feeding air into an Industrial Injection 66mm Silver Bullet ball-bearing turbo. the engine is tuned by a Bully Dog Triple Dog downloader and Bully Dog Torque Dog performance module. Sitting atop the engine is a Fastcore CFM+ carbon composite intake manifold receiving cool bursts from a Snow performance Stage 2 boost cooler water/methanol injection system. diesel is supplied by an Industrial Injection Stage 2 Cp3 fuel pump sending the fuel to a diesel performance products 200gph inline FaSS lift pump that builds the pressure for custom EdM 100hp fuel injectors.

In case all of those goodies still aren't enough to blow by the competition, a Nitrous Express nXd Stacker injection is ready to tap for added power. the exhaust is expelled by a 5-inch Bully Dog Rapid Flow turbo-back exhaust system. handling the excessive horsepower is a fully built Goerend 48RE billet automatic transmission with a 47rE modified valve body and 15-blade 1,900 rpm stall billet torque converter. now that Rodney's truck was screaming stoplight to stoplight, he focused on making it look like a custom truck.

Coolsby Customs in Bessemer, Alabama, painted the truck, but not before the addition of Street Scene Speed grilles, a welded-in rear roll pan, Sport Mirrors with turn signals, and a truck Covers uSa retractable aluminum bed cover. Black and silver DuPont paints were used for the two-tone with red graphics breaking up the two hues. looking good and running like a scolded dog, Rodney knew he needed an audio system to match the performance nature of the build.

Inside the doors is where the Ram really separates itself from other dodges at trucks shows. audio designs of Atlanta went to work making all of the Sony Xplod audio look and sound its best. out went the old seats that were replaced with Corbeau a4 microsuede racing seats with four-point harnesses. then, for added protection, a Kirk racing four-point roll cage was bolted in. the center console was removed in favor of a custom fiberglass enclosure housing four inverted 12-inch Sony Xplod subs. Fiberglass door panel inserts were stuffed with Sony Xplod 6-1/2-inch mids and highs and even the headliner received the custom treatment. a total of six Sony Xplod amps were mounted to a panel that was molded into the suede headliner and look down on lucky passengers. Monster Cable wire and connectors were used throughout. Other interior mods included the addition of an AIM racing steering wheel, Auto Meter performance gauges, and floor mats.

No need to try and race the Dodge, you'll lose. If you own a Dodge, you probably don't want to show against it, either. when we asked Rodney what he thought about the truck, he said "It's the perfect storm, because it is a perfect blend of all aftermarket aspects." we have to agree and can't wait to hear some Lynrd Skynrd blasting through the system.